Defense: Man accused of helping girlfriend's suicide was "caught in her web"

Matthew Stubbendieck is accused of aiding in his girlfriend's death in Cass County

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:48 PM CDT Apr 11, 2018

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT ALEXANDRA STONE WAS THERE SHE JOINS US LIVE. REPORTER: ROB, JULIE, THE PROSECUTION SAYS MATTHEW STUBBENDIECK PARTICIPATED ALICIA WILEMON SULLIVAN’S DEATH. THE DEFENSE ARGUES HE LOVED HER AND BELIEVED SHE HAD CANCER, EVEN THOUGH DOCTORS NEVER FOUND ANY TUMORS. AN EMOTIONAL MATTHEW STUBBENDIECK, APPEARED IN FRONT OF A JURY WEDNESDAY, CHARGED WITH ASSISTED SUICICE IN THE DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND, ALICIA WILEMON SULLIVAN. OVER SEVERAL HOURS WEDNESDAY, THE JURY WATCHED BODY CAM FOOTAGE FROM THE FIRST INTERACTION CASS COUNTY DEPUTIES HAD WITH MATTHEW STUBBENDIECK LAST FALL, AFTER HE CALLED THEM. >> THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS, IF NOT THE HARDEST THING YOU’LL DO IN YOUR LIFE I ALREADY DID THE HARDEST THING I’VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. REPORTER: STUBBENDIECK SAYS ALICIA DECIDED TO FLY -- STUBBENDIECK SAYS ALICIA DECIDED TO FLY TO NEBRASKA TO TAKE HER OWN LIFE. HE TOLD DEPUTIES HE WENT TO THE WOODS WITH HER, WHERE ALICIA CUT HER WRISTS MULTIPLE TIMES. HE SAID HE COVERED HER NOSE AND MOUTH TWICE, BUT COULD NOT GO THROUGH WITH IT. THE JURY ALSO HEARD FROM A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST WHO PERFORMED THE AUTOPS >> HER MAJOR INJURIES WERE CONCENTRATED AROUND THE WRIS AND INSIDES OF THE FOREARM, AND THOSE WERE CUTTING WOUNDS. SHE ALSO HAD NO EVIDENCE OF STRANGULATION. REPORTER: THE DOCTOR SAYS THERE WERE HIGH LEVELS OF MORPHINE IN WILEMON-SULLIVANS BODY. NO SIGNS OF CANCEROUS TUMORS. ULTIMATELY HER CAUSE OF DEATH, UNDETERMINED. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE IS TWO YEARS IN PRISON THE TRIAL RESUMES TOMORROW MORNING IN CASS COUNTY. WE WILL HAVE AN

Advertisement

Defense: Man accused of helping girlfriend's suicide was "caught in her web"

Matthew Stubbendieck is accused of aiding in his girlfriend's death in Cass County

"You will have been presented with numerous instances in which the defendant aided and abetted Alicia Wilemon-Sullivan in either her actual suicide or in her attempt to commit suicide," Cass County Attorney Colin Palm said in court.

However, the defense said Stubbendieck loved Wilemon-Sullivan, and believed she had cancer when he went with her to a wooded area the night she took her own life.

"Little did he know, he was merely a part in her web," Angie Minahan, one of Stubbendieck's attorneys said, "To get what she ultimately wanted. She wanted to commit suicide. You'll read that in the text message several times."

The jury saw lengthy body camera video from the Cass County Deputy who initially spoke with Stubbendieck after he had called authorities following the suicide.

In the video, Stubbendieck is emotional, telling the deputy about Wilemon-Sullivan's stage four cancer, her attempts at radiation and occasions when the illness led her to leave her children with friends.

"When she found out she had cancer, she called Katie," Stubbendieck said in the body cam video, "Katie took the kids, and she went to Key West for like three months."

Stubbendieck told the deputy in the body camera video that he went with Wilemon-Sullivan to the wooded area, and when he walked away for a moment, she cut her wrists. He went on the tell the deputy, he did put his hands over her nose and mouth twice, but couldn't go through with it.

A forensic pathologist took the stand, telling the jury, in autopsies performed after Wilemon-Sullivan's death, they did not find evidence of cancer or tumors.

The official cause of death was listed as undetermined, though Dr. Michelle Elieff detailed her findings.

"Her major injuries were concentrated around the wrists and insides of the forearm, and those were cutting wounds," Dr. Elieff said, "She also had no evidence of strangulation."

Dr. Elieff said they did find high levels of morphine in Wilemon-Sullivan's body.